Socratic Seminars:

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Transcript of Socratic Seminars:

Socratic Seminars:Discussion Forums for the 21st Century Classroom What is it? A method used to understand information by creating dialogue in class regarding a specific text and topic

Participants seek deeper understanding of the complex ideas in a text through rigorous thoughtful dialogue, rather than by memorizing bits of informationHow does it work?There are two circles: an inner circle and an outer circle Discussion Leader opens with opening question. Students in the inner circle will contribute answers in a dialectic manner. Which means students participate in natural discussion, not hand raising. Students in the outer circle will be pairing up with one person in the inner circle and standing or sitting directly behind them, observing their behavior during the discussion and writing down their participant’s behavior on the evaluation sheet. Students further the discussion by asking their own questions.

97% teacher talkStudent average response 2-3 seconds teacher judgment-emphasis on correctness, limited extended thinking correctness is paramount, thinking ends as soon as one is right or wrong students listen primarily to teacher Teacher ownership for "flow" A "frill"; nebulously, it counts as a participation grade. If absent, they didn't really miss anything, just a class discussion Possible Topics for Socratic Discussionto discuss current eventsto discuss important issues in the classroom to discuss topics that have more than one point of viewto discuss literature to discuss social situations to problem solve You engage in discussion, actively participating, but not dominating. You read aloud excerpts from the text to support or make a point, drawing our attention to the words the author chose to use (diction). Listen to each other carefully. Look the speaker in the eye. Do not interrupt. Use each other’s names.Paraphrase what the speaker before you has said to respond responsibly. Support or refute the prior speaker’s ideas. Stick to the text. Your point or opinion only matters if you can support your ideas. Formulate effective discussion questions to further discussion and analysis of text and essential question. If you are confused about another speaker’s point, question him or her. Discuss ideas; do not attack people.

Inner Circle Expectations Outer Circle ExpectationsYou are silent, but talking back by taking notes and passing notes ("fish food"). When do you think the inner circle “sparked”? How did that happen?Track the person most directly in front of you. Did he/she contribute well (neither dominate nor duck discussion)? Explain. To what idea were you dying to respond to? What would you have said? What was the single most important idea discussed? Why? What was the single most important idea that didn’t get discussed? Why? What could have made the discussion more constructive?Facilitator/Discussion Leader ExpectationsFacilitator, not director Teacher's sole responsibility is to pose well thought out, open-ended questions Wait...have the students run this discussionEncourage the thought process, metacognition The teacher gives no response to any comment, negative or positive, to the students' discussion The teacher can pose more questions to "move" the discussion from stalemate positions Ensure that discussion etiquette is being followed Opening Question

about the text / initiating Core Question within the text / analysis Closing Question beyond the text / evaluative Using Socratic Seminar Across the CurriculumEnglish: to discuss literature or a nonfiction articleScience: to discuss a current topic or to problem solve in a science related field: forensics, bioethics, chemical warfare, etc. Social Studies: to discuss a social issue or current eventMath: to discuss ways a given topic can be used in real life situations or problem solve: buying a house, choosing a lender, creating a budget, choosing a college, career, etc. Media/Computer Science: to discuss best way to utilize technology and social medias in real world scenarios Art: to discuss various artists, artworks, inspirations, compare stylistic periods, societal impact of art Music: to discuss possible interpretations, cultural impact, and movements of music Foreign Language: to discuss cultural differences or current issues in countries where the language focus isPhysical Education: to discuss topics like personal health, nutrition, current events in sports, sport ethics (PEDs)Opening Essential Question: The Pledge of Allegiance has evolved along with our nation over the past few centuries. Does the current version of the pledge reflect our modern nation today, while still holding true to the original principles on which our government is based?